We are a full-service interior design firm meaning that we not only provide interior design services, but we also procure all the items we specify and manage your entire project to completion, insuring that our high standards of quality are met and every last detail is followed through to the end. We work with our own team of trusted trades and suppliers including both local and international manufacturers and artisans.

Our commitment to integrity in our business practices and transparency in our pricing sets us apart and facilitates trusting open relationships with our clients.

We recommend our own team because they are people that we trust and are confident in the quality of their workmanship, however, if you have your own contractor or team that you feel comfortable working with, we can work with them as well.

To learn more about how a project typically unfolds, please read How it Works.

If you would like to inquire about working together, please fill out the New Client Questionnaire which will give us a better understanding of your needs. At that point we will be able to better assess your project and determine whether we are the right fit.

If we both feel that we are interested in working together after the initial inquiry, we can meet for a consultation at the project site or if we have enough information after the phone call we can draft a proposal for the job right away.

Should you request an onsite consultation, there is a fee of $150. A typical consultation lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours.

Kelli Richards

Principal Designer

Kelli Richards is the Owner and Principal Designer of Kelli Richards Designs, specializing in both residential and commercial projects in and around Montreal. Her design esthetic has its base in modernism yet also has undertones of classic luxury.

Working in the fashion industry as a model for over a decade, Kelli has been immersed in various cultures which have no doubt influenced not only her personal design style, but also her philosophy and outlook on life.

“The most beautiful designs are blending both the past and present together, I love the juxtaposition of classic elements next to clean modern lines. This is what really gives a space soul and a sense of history.” ~ Kelli

For Kelli, interior design is less about decoration and more about transformation and adaptation. Transforming and adapting a space to fit the needs of the client (even the ones they didn’t know they had) thereby, changing their lives. It is in this where Kelli’s passion and purpose lies.

After graduating from College Interdec’s Interior Design program in 2013 and winning a “New Talent Excellence Award” at the SIDIM, Kelli worked for another design firm before launching out on her own in 2014.

Since then, Kelli has worked on numerous projects, both commercial and residential in Montreal as well as other parts of Canada and the US.

Kelli and her team design, collaborate, procure, and manage projects from concept to reality, saving her clients valuable time while also helping them avoid costly mistakes.

HOW IT WORKS

We may not be the right design firm for you. Every project entered into is one that we feel is the right fit for us in terms of style, budget, personality and timeline. The average project budgets we work with are between $50,000 and $500,000+

Initial Inquiry

Once receiving your inquiry, we assess your project in terms of scope, location, style and budget. Then we will follow up with you (usually within 1 or 2 business days) with additional questions we may have in order to have a clear understanding of your project needs and whether or not it is a project we think we can help you with.

Sometimes after the initial inquiry we have enough information to be able to draft a proposal for the project. If you are not exactly sure of what you want to do yet and you need help figuring out what to renovate or decorate, we would then schedule an on-site consultation.

Consultation

If we do not have enough information after the initial inquiry, we can schedule an on-site consultation. The meeting typically lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours as there is usually a lot to discuss. I will come with either my partner or an assistant and we will mostly listen, take notes, ask questions and then advise you on our initial thoughts of what we think should be done.

Please keep in mind that the design cannot happen in one meeting. Usually once we start a project, our initial ideas can change a lot once we actually start working on plans and constructing. The goal of the meeting is for us to gain a better understanding of your vision for the space as well as your values and lifestyle and then we can put together a proposal for the work we all agree should be done. The fee for the consultation is $150.

Proposal

After the initial inquiry or consultation, we will get to work on drafting a proposal for your project based on all of the information collected. We will list in detail the work that is required from our firm, the estimated time for completion of that work along with the associated fees. We most commonly offer a set fee because we do not like our clients to feel like they are on the clock and this way there are no surprises in the end. This proposal will be emailed to you for your review.

Contract

Should you accept our proposal, we will draft an agreement which is essentially the same as the proposal except it goes into more detail about the payment schedule, liability, purchasing arrangement etc. This will be emailed to you so you will have lots of time to read it over and then we would meet in person to sign and collect a deposit to begin the work.

Survey of Site

Yay!! We have signed the agreement and are now working together! This is the beginning of an exciting journey and hopefully a long-lasting relationship. At this stage, we will take precise measurements and photos of your space. This typically takes between 1-3 hours depending on the size of the area.

Draft Existing Plan

At this point we begin the design process by drafting the existing space on Auto CAD that we have to work with.

Mood Board Creation

Before we design anything, we spend a lot of time researching and throwing ideas around the office. Team members research and pull up inspiration photos which we put together to form a mood board usually by room. This gets sent to you before we even start designing or selecting anything for your approval. This way, we make sure we are on the right track and you are able to X out any ideas on the spot if it is not to your liking.

Design Plans & Selections

Once we have a clear direction of the mood/style we are trying to achieve with your approval, we set out on the actual design and selection process. We usually show a couple of different options for you to choose from whether it’s the layout or furniture/lighting selections.

We may show you one or two options that you wouldn’t have normally selected yourself, however it is important to keep in mind that we see the bigger picture. If there are some tweaks you want to make during the design phase, no worries we want you to be completely happy with everything, after all, you are the one who will be living/working there!

Budget Creation/Adjustments

Some clients start off knowing exactly how much they want to spend and we try to work within their budget, others don’t really know how much they should spend and just want us to design and select things and present them with the budget of how much it will all cost.

When we make selections, we always take cost into account to ensure our selections are realistic for your budget and quality expectations. If there is a disconnect between what you want and what is feasible for your budget, we will try to make this clear to you from the very beginning.

Purchasing and Project Management

Once you have approved our design plans and selections, we will ask you for a retainer and get to work placing orders from our suppliers on your behalf. We can work with our team of trusted contractors and other trades or if you want us to work with your contractor we can do that as well.

Our goal is to bring the project to completion within your desired timeframe and within the budget that was approved along with the design plans and selections. All deliveries and installations will be handled by us and we will deal with any issues that may arise as a result of back orders, delays, damages, missing pieces etc.

This process can last anywhere from one month to one year depending on the size and scope of the project. We receive trade discounts on most products and we happily pass these discounts onto our clients. We do not receive any discounts on labor. After the discount has been applied we charge a management fee which is a percentage of our cost. We pride ourselves in being transparent with our pricing.

This means that we keep records of all original bills which are accessible to our clients at the end of the project in an online folder. We understand that you work hard for your money and for most people a renovation is a substantial investment. For this reason, it is important that you have peace of mind and feel that the team you hire has only your best interest in mind and operates in a way that is open and honest.